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| Mark Powell picking up Marcel Pérès at the airport |
Cappella Romana opens its 21st Annual Season with MARCEL PÉRÈS–of France’s world-renowned ENSEMBLE ORGANUM–leading the Byzantine chant ensemble of Cappella Romana in a program drawn from the Codex Calixtinus, the priceless 12th-century manuscript recently stolen and recovered from the Cathedral of St. James in Compostela, Spain. In Portland (Fri., 16 Nov.) and Seattle (Sat., 17 Nov.).
The program features ancient Latin music for the Vespers of St. James drawn from the Codex Calixtinus, the 12th-c. manuscript that records in words and music the medieval pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, “El Camino”–“The Way,” which remains popular today.
Widely considered an iconoclast in the early music movement, Medieval Latin chant specialist Marcel PÉRÈS has developed a robust and vibrant, expressive and energetic style of singing plainchant with his Ensemble Organum, challenging audiences and fellow scholars and performers to reconsider how to approach ancient repertories of plainchant from throughout the Christian world.
Monsieur PÉRÈS has also been an active collaborator for many years with Lycourgos Angelopoulos, the director of the Greek Byzantine Choir of Athens. The singers have made several recordings together of Old Roman Chant, which dates from a time when the popes of Rome were Greek-speaking and the Latin liturgy still retained Greek psalms and hymns.
Two cathedral performances in the Pacific Northwest (St. Mary’s Cathedral, Portland, Fri. Nov. 16; St. James Cathedral, Seattle, Nov. 17) featuring an ensemble of Byzantine cantors, including Spyridon Antonopoulos (Boston/London), John Michael Boyer (Boston/Portland), Constantine Kokenes (Atlanta), Alexander Lingas (Oxford) and Mark Powell (Portland). Cappella Romana is a 2012 Guest Choral Artist at St. James Cathedral.
Concerts:
Portland – 8pm, Friday, November 16th, St. Mary’s Cathedral
Seattle – 8pm, Saturday, November 17th, St. James Cathedral
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